Vehicle window screens have been proposed for use during warm weather to protect passengers from bothersome insects in parked vehicles, while permitting fresh air to circulate within the vehicle interior. Such screens have been proposed for use at drive-in theaters, and by persons who wish to sleep in their vehicles during hunting or camping trips. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,195 to Marchbanks, for example, there is disclosed a ventilation screen that is installed in a window opening by fastening one side of a Zipper fixedly attached to the screen edge, to a second side of the Zipper connected to a vehicle structure defining the window opening. The screen is demountable by sliding the Zipper in unlocking direction.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,458 to Lazarek, there is disclosed a demountable automobile window screen including a sheet of screening having the same shape as the car window. The screen is secured to the automobile by strips of male and female Velcro. The Velcro strips are respectively mounted to a border of the screen and around the window so they abut each other while the screen is in situ over the window opening.
The prior art automobile window screens of which I am aware generally lack rigidity, and proper alignment of the portions surrounding the car window would often appear difficult. Furthermore, Zippers employed in some prior art screens may sometimes stick, rendering the screen inoperative or undetachable from the window without damaging the screen. It is desirable to have a screen capable of overcoming these problems.
It is often desirable to use a window screen in a moving vehicle. For example, such screen use often minimizes the propensity to throw litter out of the vehicle. In addition, a window screen may often prevent stones and other debris picked up by truck tires and other heavy load vehicles from entering the passenger compartment and causing damage to passengers and property within the compartment. In city driving, a vehicle window screen may provide additional security against unauthorized intruders that sometimes approach passengers stopped, for example, at a red light. Indirectly, vehicle window screen use for the above reasons may tend to conserve fuel, because drivers who customarily rely upon air conditioning may instead open their windows to obtain fresh air.
Another problem associated with the above prior art vehicle window screens occurs when a vehicle occupant wants to or is required to reach from the vehicle interior to a region immediately exterior the vehicle window opening (e.g., at pay tolls, picking up garage tickets, paying parking fees, and hand signalling). In the prior art devices of which I am aware, the occupant must generally remove the entire screen to reach from the interior to the exterior of the vehicle. One attempt to solve this problem is disclosed in the prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,858 to Lange, wherein a sliding window screen is retained within a guide channel in the vehicle door, and raised or lowered by hand cranking. Such a screen permits physical communication through the window opening; however, the screen must first be lowered by hand cranking, often a tedious process, particularly for elderly drivers. In addition, higher manufacturing costs are incurred in constructing the channel and cranking means.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vehicle screen that is easily mountable and demountable in position covering a vehicle window opening.
Another object of the invention is to provide a demountable vehicle window screen having reliable attachment means for securing the demountable screen against the peripheral portions of a vehicle window opening.
Yet another object is to provide a new and improved demountable vehicle screen permitting occupants to reach through the window opening while the screen is in position against the opening.
Still another object is to provide a demountable screen capable of preventing insects or other unauthorized intruders from entering the vehicle cabin interior.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a demountable screen which may be purchased apart from a vehicle, and easily installed.